January brought a new year as well as a new record low on spending for a month. We had a great time moving from La Paz to La Cruz with stops in Mazatlan and Isla Isabella. Some of the best snorkeling and relaxing days spent at anchor yet. Overall our average monthly saving is round $1700 per month and is getting closer and closer to our goal of averaging $1500 for the year.

December came and went much faster than expected, as it often does. We had Aprils mother come down to La Paz for a little over two week and stayed with us. This month we also accrued costs associated with Christmas, but over all, it was a good budget month with our lowest spending yet.

November 2017

WAHOOOOO!!!! We made it close to our budget this month! Our goal has been $1500 per month and with all of the last minute upgrades and the high cost of traveling in the USA, we hadn’t made it yet… but we are really close now. The biggest difference? Food is about ½ the cost in Mexico and we have stayed almost entirely on the hook. (with the exception of one night at a fuel dock that they charged us $45 for)

From here on I think we can start to maintain our monthly financial goal and stay on track to for our long term traveling goal.

Our last month in the US was all we had expected it to be from the financial side of things. We had many last minute boat projects and a few unexpected costs. In addition to over $1000 in pre-planned spare parts purchased in San Diego, we also stocked up on warm weather clothes and a few wetsuits we had not planned to purchase.

One item we did not include as part of a spending this month was a pre-planned trip off the boat. We spend 2 days and one night at the Lego Land Hotel and Park. This had been our first destination planned on our around the world trip planning. Something Aksel had been looking forward to for years and we had saved separately for. The total cost was a ridicules $700 but was a “once in a childhood” type of event that Aksel will not soon forget.

*Excluding the pre-planned purchases of boat parts and our Lego Land trip.

Damn you California… You’re killing my budget. Well, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but we went well over our budget this month. The biggest hit to the budget were marinas. We found that several of the spots we wanted to hang out didn’t have safe anchorages (contrary to our cruising guides suggestion). We also took a 30% increase per gallon in fuel and spend an unreasonable $150 for the 3 of us to go to the Monterey Aquarium. Something I would defiantly do again, but it was a lot of cash to drop for a few hours. We still have 1 more month in the US before we hope to get the cost down in Mexico. Wish us luck.

Categories

Food:

All Food we purchase to prepare ourselves on the boat.

Marinas:

This cost is associated with any costs related to parking the boat for the night.

Fuel:

Fuel accounts for both diesel and gas for the boat or our outboard. (95% is for diesel)

Boat:

This line item covers all boat maintenance or upgrades.

Misc:

This covers all miscellaneous items such as laundry, car rentals, or any other item that is not easy to categorize.

Eating Out:

This is the cost of all eating out at restaurants and/or coffee shops. It also includes snacks we might buy while not on the boat.

Insurance:

The insurance line item covers both Health Insurance and Boat Insurance.

Communication:

This covers two cell phones, satellite texting and weather information.

Customs:

This is for all cost associated with checking in or checking out of a country.

Knowing that our average budget for our trip is $1500 per month, this month was a pleasant surprise, even though we spent above our budgeted average. This month’s total was $1,844 and covered two weeks of cursing in the San Juan’s and Gulf Islands as well and a couple of weeks held up in marinas as we waited for storms to pass as we moved down the west coast of the United States. The US will be one of the more expensive places we travel over the next few years and with any luck, by keeping our costs down here, we will have no problem once we leave to lower cost destinations.

Categories

Food:

All Food we purchase to prepare ourselves on the boat.

Marinas:

This cost is associated with any costs related to parking the boat for the night.

Fuel:

Fuel accounts for both diesel and gas for the boat or our outboard. (95% is for diesel)

Boat:

This line item covers all boat maintenance or upgrades.

Misc:

This covers all miscellaneous items such as laundry, car rentals, or any other item that is not easy to categorize.

Eating Out:

This is the cost of all eating out at restaurants and/or coffee shops. It also includes snacks we might buy while not on the boat.

Insurance:

The insurance line item covers both Health Insurance and Boat Insurance.

Communication:

This covers two cell phones, satellite texting and weather information.

Customs:

This is for all cost associated with checking in or checking out of a country.

The cost of updating a boat to prepare it for long distance blue water cruising will differ for each boat and each family. But this is what we choose to meet our needs best. We realize we could easily have done it for a fraction of this cost or spent 2 to 3 times this amount. We found this to be our comfort zone with enough bells and wistles to be both safe and comfortable from our perspective.